Posts Tagged ‘foodie tots love farmers markets’

The younger foodie tot and I stopped by the H Street NE FreshFarm Market last weekend to finally scope out one of the few markets on the east side of town. At a new location this season (on 13th at H St., NE) , it’s a great little neighborhood market with some well-known vendors (Atwater’s Bakery, Quaker Valley Orchard and Keswick Creamery) as well as ones I’d yet to shop with. And, the fabulous new Gordy’s Pickle Jar was there as well. Made in the District, their Sweet Chips have already won an award at the International Pickle Festival (yes, there really is such a thing) — and, won over a new fan in the foodie tot as well. (I loved their Thai Basil Jalapeños and will be back for a jar of them next.)

The balloon artist was there as part of the Food Revolution Day festivities (we unfortunately missed the cooking demo) — while our ladybug was adorable, the little girl ahead of us took home a ballerina in a pink tutu modeled after herself. So cute!

I don’t think I have to tell you that asparagus and strawberries are the stars of the season at market right now. We also found beautiful red rhubarb as tall as the toddler and delicious Red Russian Kale. And for all your upcoming pie needs, Cedarbrook Farm sells lard. If you live on the Hill, or are just looking for a more mellow (and kid-friendly) market experience than Dupont Circle in the summer, give H Street a try.

(And after, stop by SOVA for an Intelligentsia coffee treat for mom and dad. The front window seat is perfect for toddler people watching.)

First, a huge thank you to all who helped spread the word about the the Foodie Tots <3 Farmers Market contest! As you recall, the contest was launched in correlation with National Farmers Market Week, and our contest participants demonstrated through their photos the many lessons that kids can learn from visiting farmers markets, whether it’s trying a food once loathed, learning to spell, or finding creativeuses for all those farm-fresh veggies. I so loved the entries that I couldn’t pick just one, so please join me in congratulating both our winners…

1st Prize goes to Cheryl of Backseat Gourmet for this precious photo of a toddler suddenly discovering a deep love for raspberries:

“I’d just finished telling my sister-in-law that Smilosaurus wouldn’t eat raspberries when she lost her mind in an an effort to prove me wrong. Signs of things to come? Part of our farmers’ market tours, taken at City Centre Market, Edmonton.”

… and our Runner-Up is “Glitzy Purse Girl” of Steeped Insanity with this shot of her son fiercely guarding his prized produce:

Congrats to you both and I hope you enjoy your goodie bags! And a final note, the Flickr group will stay open so please continue to share pictures of your kids at your local farmers markets.

It’s the final weekend to enter the Foodie Tots <3 Farmers Markets photo contest so grab your kids, your camera (and your rain gear if you’re on the East Coast) and head out to the market this weekend! Snap a shot of your kid(s) and post it to the Foodie Tots <3 Farmers MarketsFlickr pool by midnight Monday, August 31, and you’ll have a chance to win a kid-sized reusable market tote filled with foodie goodies. For an extra entry into the drawing, blog about your local farmers market with a link back to this post &/or retweet a link to the “Foodie Tots <3 Farmers Markets” Flickr pool.

As for us, we’ve been on the road and while we’ve visited farms, we’ve not set foot in a farmers market in days. Today the boy squealed at the sight of fresh produce at a Brooklyn storefront so I could hardly say no when he asked for “raspberries, blueberries, red plums, black plums, and green pears!” It was his birthday, after all. Fill us in on what your kids pick out this weekend!

Update: I know this is a busy time, with folks traveling, dealing with summer illnesses (the Foodie Tot included) and back to school preparations, so we’re extending the Farmers Market photo contest through the end of the month! Thanks to those who’ve already contributed great shots to the Flickr pool. If you haven’t yet, you now have extra time to stop by the market, pick up some fresh corn, peaches or whatever your favorite summer treats are, and send in a photo for the contest by Monday, August 31. The winner will be announced September 1. Submit a photo of your tot(s) at the market to the Foodie Tots <3 Farmers MarketsFlickr pool by August 31 and you’ll have a chance to win a kid-sized reusable market tote filled with foodie goodies. For an extra entry into the drawing, blog about your local farmers market with a link back to this post &/or retweet a link to the “Foodie Tots <3 Farmers Markets” Flickr pool.

In other market fan news, the American Farmland Trust announced its winners for the “America’s Favorite Farmers Market” contest. Virginia’s Williamsburg Farmers Market was the winner in the medium-sized category (anyone been?); Davis Farmers Market in California won for large market and Collingswood, NJ, was the small market winner. Congrats to all.

For a good portion of my life, I hated cantaloupe. I would eat honeydew and watermelon without a second thought, but carefully, obsessively, pick out any orange-fleshed melon pieces from fruit salads. When the Foodie Tot was born, the husband and I agreed to introduce him to foods we hated without prejudice and let him form his own opinions. (That meant bananas and canteloupe for me, and many green vegetables for the husband.) I’ve learned to cope with bananas ripening on the counter, despite my continued abhorrence of the sight and smell of brown spots, but was surprised to discover last summer that sweet, locally-grown cantaloupe is actually enjoyable. People often assume that melon is less nutritious because of its high water contents, but in fact cantaloupe is loaded with beta-carotene and vitamins A and C, potassium, folate and fiber, making it a nutrition power house. It’s peak melon season now locally, and most produce stands at local farmers markets offer an array of melons in shades of orange, yellow, green and red. Pick one that is still firm to the touch but smell the stem end to test for ripeness — the sweeter the better.

Of course my Italian heritage demands that I serve melon draped in prosciutto, and the Southern Maryland/Virginia melons found at our local farmers markets are perfectly suited for the task. Inspired by that classic sweet-salty pairing, I decided to try my hand at a cantaloupe soup. We ventured out in the rain to the West End Alexandria market Sunday — because Foodie Tots are not fair weather market fans — and the dark, gloomy day put me in the mood for soup. This simple soup could be served warm or chilled. It’s topped with crispy prosciutto-style ham and fried basil leaves. I can’t call this toddler-approved as the foodie tot spit it out in a fussy refusing to eat rebellion, but if your kid is in a less finicky mood I suspect they might at least be slightly intrigued by this sweet, orange soup.

Recipe: Cantaloupe Soup with Ham and Basil

Ingredients:

1 good sized cantaloupe (4 cups, cubed)

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 medium sweet onion

1 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper

2-3 slices prosciutto-style ham

several small basil leaves

Instructions: Heat oil over medium heat in stock pot. Cook onions until soft and translucent (but not browned). Add melon and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, until melon falls apart when prodded with a spoon. Season with just a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool before blending in blender in small batches, or in pot with a stick blender. Serve warm or chill for several hours to serve cold.

Before serving, thinly slice and chop ham into small pieces. Fry over medium high heat until browned and crispy. Remove from heat and pat with paper towel to remove excess oil. Cook basil leaves in the ham’s drippings until translucent and crisp (do not stir), remove carefully. Sprinkle ham bits and basil leaves in center of soup before serving. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

This, along with a Cibola Farms buffalo steak and sauteed Swiss chard from our CSA, is our featured One Local Summer meal of the week. Our squash blossom succotash crepes earlier in the week were also all-local. We’re now celebrating National Farmers Market Week with a market menu every night — stay tuned for the highlights. And be sure to grab your camera when you head to the market this week to enter the Foodie Tots <3 Farmers Market photo contest! Just upload a picture to the Flickr pool by Sunday, August 9.